Sewer deal may net Springfield $1 million

Published: Thursday, June 20, 2013 at 06:59 PM.

SPRINGFIELD — City officials are looking at an influx of $1 million and a cut in expenses by basically selling empty sewage space.

Mayor Ralph Hammond disclosed a plan Tuesday to sell Mexico Beach unused portions of Springfield’s Advanced Wastewater Treatment (AWT) capacity. The most Hammond is willing to part with can treat up to 282,262 gallons a day, which is worth about $1 million.

“What we have in reserves is almost what we use now,” Hammond said. “Even if we (expanded) out Avon Road or Tram Road, we would never use all of it.”

In total, a value of about $1.76 million is currently available in Springfield’s surplus AWT capacity at the Bay County wastewater treatment plant. The city co-owns the AWT facility and has to pay on a bond and insurance whether the surplus space is being used or not.

Springfield pays about $130,000 to the county each month for use.

According to the public works department, at peak usage the city uses about 75 percent of its capacity, but on average it fluctuates between 45 and 60 percent.

“We’ve got all this capacity we’ll never use, and it’s costing us money every month,” said Lee French, public works director.

SPRINGFIELD — City officials are looking at an influx of $1 million and a cut in expenses by basically selling empty sewage space.

Mayor Ralph Hammond disclosed a plan Tuesday to sell Mexico Beach unused portions of Springfield’s Advanced Wastewater Treatment (AWT) capacity. The most Hammond is willing to part with can treat up to 282,262 gallons a day, which is worth about $1 million.

“What we have in reserves is almost what we use now,” Hammond said. “Even if we (expanded) out Avon Road or Tram Road, we would never use all of it.”

In total, a value of about $1.76 million is currently available in Springfield’s surplus AWT capacity at the Bay County wastewater treatment plant. The city co-owns the AWT facility and has to pay on a bond and insurance whether the surplus space is being used or not.

Springfield pays about $130,000 to the county each month for use.

According to the public works department, at peak usage the city uses about 75 percent of its capacity, but on average it fluctuates between 45 and 60 percent.

“We’ve got all this capacity we’ll never use, and it’s costing us money every month,” said Lee French, public works director.

Timing is of the essence for the deal, because the demand could evaporate within a few years.

“Thing about it is, five or 10 years from now there will be another plant in the county, so there will be plenty of capacity for everybody,” French said.

County officials approached Hammond and French about possibly selling a portion of the city’s remaining AWT capacity. With resources scant for Mexico Beach’s wastewater, the county is working with Springfield and Mexico Beach to bridge an agreement.

“We told them we wouldn’t go over $1 million,” Hammond said. “That would leave us with 767,000” gallons of unused capacity, “which would be plenty for any improvements or extensions we would want to do because we’re pretty well land-locked.”

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